What is considered difficulty swallowing?
Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing — taking more time and effort to move food or liquid from your mouth to your stomach. Dysphagia can be painful. In some cases, swallowing is impossible.
What to do if it’s hard to swallow?
Treatment for dysphagia includes:
- Exercises for your swallowing muscles. If you have a problem with your brain, nerves, or muscles, you may need to do exercises to train your muscles to work together to help you swallow.
- Changing the foods you eat.
- Dilation.
- Endoscopy.
- Surgery.
- Medicines.
What is a swallow test?
A swallowing study is a test that shows what your throat and esophagus do while you swallow. The test uses X-rays in real time (fluoroscopy) to film as you swallow. You’ll swallow a substance called barium that is mixed with liquid and food.
What medications cause difficulty swallowing?
Drug classes that may contribute to difficulty swallowing include neuroleptics, chemotherapy agents, antihypertensives, tricyclic antidepressants, anticholinergics, antihistamines, antiparkinsonian agents, and other drugs that impair saliva production.
What kind of doctor do you see for swallowing problems?
Depending on the underlying cause of your swallowing problem, you may be referred to see a Gastroenterologist, an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor, or a neurologist.
What medications affect swallowing?
Why does my throat feel blocked?
The most common causes of globus pharyngeus are anxiety and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a form of acid reflux that causes the stomach’s contents to travel back up the food pipe and sometimes into the throat. This can result in muscle spasms that trigger feelings of an object caught in the throat.
How do I stop worrying about swallowing?
Take small bites: Small bites or small sips of liquid may feel easier to swallow than larger portions. Chew food thoroughly: Chewing your food well makes it easier to swallow, which may help alleviate some of your anxiety. Eat soft foods: Soft foods may irritate your throat less than hard, scratchy foods will.
Can stress cause trouble swallowing?
Stress or anxiety may cause some people to feel tightness in the throat or feel as if something is stuck in the throat. This sensation is called globus sensation and is unrelated to eating. However, there may be some underlying cause. Problems that involve the esophagus often cause swallowing problems.